


Sensei, please smile for me

by Iefe



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Age Difference, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, Kouki is 18, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27961991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iefe/pseuds/Iefe
Summary: Akashi is Kouki's teacher. Three years under the teacher and he's never seen the guy smile even once. But is he really as cold as he seems?
Relationships: Akashi Seijuurou/Furihata Kouki
Comments: 11
Kudos: 68





	Sensei, please smile for me

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a hilarious and cute clip of a Japanese game show I saw: a student shouting from the school rooftop about his distress over a teacher that never smiled. Immediately after seeing that, I could already imagine their love story
> 
> I forgot Akashi's given name was Seijuro. But it doesn't affect anything so read on.

_Does Akashi-sensei ever smile?_

The thought floated in his head, whirling around like a leaf in the wind. Kouki was in class, laughing as a classmate finished off on a particularly funny story about the time they encountered a wild tanuki. The classroom burst into laughter and there were smiles to be seen all around. The class clown looked proud of himself. 

Kouki was laughing too, until he noticed Akashi-sensei. He had his back to the class as the story was being told, turning back only when the noise had subsided. He wore his trademark inscrutable expression and there was no hint of a smile, much less laughter. 

This was not a rare sight. Kouki was a third year student and for the past few years of having Akashi-sensei as his homeroom teacher, he had never witnessed a single grin from the stoic teacher. 

He didn't smile when a funny tale was told, when students wished him happy birthday, or when their class came first in the grade. Never in front of students. 

Akashi-sensei's smile was a ghost. A phantom. It shouldn't be seen and all that have seen it shall perish. 

Just kidding. But nobody had ever seen it, so it might be a possibility. 

He coughed lightly to remind the class that lesson was ongoing and the students zipped up immediately. He wasn't a tough or overruling teacher, but he held himself in a way that commanded respect and his eyes had almost a hypnotic effect on anyone that looked. 

As Akashi continued on, Kouki eyed him. Resting his cheek on his palm, he tried to imagine the teacher with a happy expression but came up short. Would his smile be the bright kind that reached his eyes and made him look like a shiba inu or would it be just a small tug of the lips and crinkling of the eyes? He just couldn't see it. 

Kouki watched as he held a book and explained a question from it with a cool voice that was quite nice to the ears. He thought he might have stared too hard as Akashi looked up from the book and glanced straight at him. Turning away, he pretended to be interested in the view outside. One singular thought overrode all others. 

_I want to see Akashi-sensei's smile._

\---

"Does Akashi-sensei ever smile?", Kouki asked his friends during lunch. 

Kuroko paused and stared while Taiga continued chomping down on his 100 yen mega sandwich. 

"No. I've never seen sensei smile. He's known to not do so. Kagami-kun?", Kuroko offered and looked towards Taiga. 

With his mouth full of food, "Akashi is made of stone. Nothing can make him crack. There's even school lore about him." Taiga said before taking another herculean bite of his lunch. 

"I thought so," Kouki mused and pulled on the strand of hair in front of his face.

"Is Furihata-kun interested in Akashi-sensei?", Kuroko said. 

"Yeah, I've just been thinking about it and I feel like he's purposefully not smiling because he knows it'll drive us wild with curiosity or something." 

"Furihata-kun is going wild with curiosity?" 

Kouki sighed, "I don't know...I don't know. I'm just interested, that's all. Three years Kuroko-kun. Not once have I caught him smiling. Who wouldn't want to see it?" 

"If ya so invested, you can try to get one out of him yourself. It's our last year anyway, no time better," Taiga said. 

"There's no way. Can you imagine me trying to tell him a joke and he just glowers at me menacingly? My legs would literally go out." 

Taiga shrugged and occupied himself with the preternaturally large sandwich as Kuroko stuffed a spoonful of rice into his mouth. 

"You never know until you try, Furihata-kun," the shorter friend advised. 

\---

Closing up the school library one day, Kouki heard voices from behind the shelves of non-fiction books. Tired and more than ready to go home, he strode towards the voices and prepared to tell them off for staying longer than they should've. 

However, the closer he got to them, the more familiar the voice became. He hid behind the rows of books and tried to peek. From the narrow margin of space between the books and the wooden shelving, he saw a speck of red. _It's Akashi-sensei._

He could see the back of Akashi-sensei's perfectly fitted, well tailored suit and when he attempted to move and see who the other person was, he heard a laugh. Velvety, mellifluous and genuine. It was happy. In front of Kouki's own eyes, he saw Akashi-sensei's shoulders shake and his hair moving as he laughed at whatever conversation he was having. 

Akashi-sensei laughed. _He laughs._

Kouki felt an odd sense of elation and hope coming from the realisation but was quickly humbled when he remembered that he didn't actually get to see Akashi's face. A deep regret washed over him as he sighed and let out a breath he didn't know he was hiding. 

Stepping out, he made his presence known. He eyed the other person. Isn't that the music teacher? How the hell did she manage to make Akashi-sensei laugh? 

"Kouki," Akashi acknowledged, with no hint of surprise at his sudden appearance. 

He nodded at both the teachers. 

"Sorry sensei, but we're closing. It's going to be 6 soon." 

"Is that so? We better hurry off then, I do not wish to stop you from getting home." The words were teasing but the tone serious. 

Kouki looked at Akashi awkwardly, hoping to learn something from his expression but none could be seen. So it's only in front of students. 

He wanted to laugh. What made Akashi think he needed to keep up a facade? It was such a weird thing to do. But more importantly, the man could and did have the mental capacity to feel joy and change his expression. Kouki huffed and looked back at Akashi defyingly. Or what he hoped was defiant - Akashi-sensei was still intimidating at the end of the day.

He brushed past Kouki with the music teacher in tow, leather dress shoes clicking on the wooden floor. Kouki followed after them, making sure no one else was in the library and prepared to lock up. 

The librarian's desk was adjacent to the entrance. Akashi stopped just before he walked out, like he had suddenly remembered something. Twisting his head back, he looked straight into Kouki's gaze. 

"See you tomorrow, Kouki." 

He wanted to break eye contact but managed a small 'see you'. He didn't expect to get caught gawking. 

He left school with a lot to think about that day. 

\---

Kouki paid a lot of attention to Akashi-sensei after that. He thought about catching sensei in the act, capturing a moment where his guard was down and there was a smile on his face. 

Akashi-sensei was in his head. A foreign invader that took over his teenage mind.

He toyed with Kuroko's comment but never had the resolve to actually try. 

Akashi-sensei was scary. Kouki didn't like to look straight into his eyes. It felt like Akashi was looking right through him and into his soul. It made Kouki's body tingle, chills slithering down his spine. 

Observing Akashi-sensei constantly also allowed him to come to the conclusion that the teacher was not...not attractive. He understood the crushes some girls had on him. 

But the prevailing desire was to see him smile.

\---

So when the opportunity came, he jumped right at it. 

"As you guys are well aware, we are nearing the end of the school year and inching closer to university," Akashi said, hands on the desk and leaning towards the class.

"Since most of you will need preparing for entrance exams, I am offering supplementary lessons for those who need it. If you are interested, please let me know." 

Kouki's head flew up. Before he could process what he was doing, his hand did too. With the enthusiasm of a toddler who was just told there was candy waiting for him, he volunteered for Akashi's lessons. His classmates eyed him weirdly as Akashi swept the class for willing students and landed on Kouki. 

Nodding, he acknowledged Kouki's overzealous display.

His heart pounded like a taiko drum. He smashed his head into his folded arms and tuned out to the rest of the class. Forehead banging loudly on the table, he kept his eyes open and stared into the desk until he saw phosphenes. 

No one else raised their hand. No one else was going to Akashi-sensei's lessons. _He was going to have private lessons. With Akashi-sensei._

Jumping between being afraid and being excited, he wondered if Akashi would act differently if he was around just one student. Maybe he would be warmed and comforted by Kouki's passion for learning.

His toes squirmed and flexed in his white school shoes as he made up his mind to not think about all that could go wrong. 

Akashi called him outside to discuss the lesson details and it was decided that they would meet every Friday after school. It was really just him checking out sensei's expensive looking leather Oxfords because he couldn't find the strength to look up into his eyes. Strange that their effects seemed to have increased.

As he walked away, Kouki traced his shoulders. This Akashi-sensei felt cold and unreachable, like a pearl shut in a taciturn clam. 

Friday was going to be interesting. 

\---

The end of the week couldn't have come sooner. Kouki had dismissed Kuroko and Taiga after their last class, running to the bathroom. He held his hands together under the running faucet and splashed the icy water on his face. 

He was more than nervous. He shouldn't have been, it wasn't normal. He didn't want to think about why he felt that way, even though he had gone to sleep thinking about Akashi-sensei every night. 

Taiga had given him a hearty slap on the back for his 'bravery' after he volunteered for the lessons while Kuroko simply eyed him like he always did when he observed people. 

Turning the tap off with water dripping from his face, he squeezed his eyelids shut like he saw something awful in the mirror and put his head between two tight palms. He slapped his cheeks hard. He heard the footsteps of a confused toilet-going schoolmate scurrying away. 

Rubbing his face and feeling the cool water seep into his skin, it decreased his anxiousness. He wasn't scared of Akashi-sensei, no, he was excited. So excited that it _scared_ him. Because, why was he getting the same heart palpitations he experienced when he confessed to a girl he liked when he was seventeen? 

This was also why he didn't share his thoughts and the library incident with his friends. He needed to get his own thoughts straight before he rambled off to others. 

Another, smaller, but equally concerning reason was that he wanted to keep it to himself. It was as if he saw something sacred. 

Wiping his damp face on his sleeves, he stalked out of the bathroom. His body was as heavy as a millstone and he was sure that if his heart beat any louder, the people walking next to him could hear it.

The classroom was emptied, not a person in sight. It was the hour of the afternoon where the sun shone the hardest and lit the room up. Kouki sat in his chair and tidied his materials. 

Math. He never liked it. Not since kindergarten where they taught simple addition, not in middle school when he studied multiplication and not in high school where he learnt algebra. However, he doesn't hate it as much now. Akashi-sensei was a great teacher, the kind that could wave his chalk around and spark an epiphany in you that turned a hated subject into an enjoyable one.

So these lessons were not a total waste or only a ruse to get closer to sensei. It would actually help him a lot. Though, when his heart was beating that hard and the junctures between his fingers that sweaty, there was no lying that his motives were pure. 

The frantic shaking of his leg stopped when he heard a metallic door sliding open. 

"Akashi-sensei! Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Kouki. I trust you are ready to start?", Akashi eyed his desk coolly. 

"Yes, um, I have some questions that I don't really understand…", he sat back down, awkwardly, as Akashi shrugged his suit jacket off and placed it on the back of a chair. His immaculate posture made Kouki sit straighter. 

The little student desk was cramped, with assignments covering it and having to share the space between two people. From the tiny distance between student and teacher, Kouki could smell Akashi's cologne. Not that he was purposefully trying to sniff his teacher, but it was wafted to him. Diffused over. 

It smelt good. For a high schooler that knew nothing about perfumery and luxury, it smelt like it was expensive. It was musky yet clean and graceful. It suited Akashi-sensei perfectly well. 

"You need help with these?" 

Shook out of his daze, Kouki blinked dumbly and realised that he had missed Akashi's ques.

He looked away, "Uhm, yeah, I don't know how to do them."

Akashi nodded and perused through his worksheets, his eyes moving in the way that they always did when he was serious - which was all the time - slow and meaningful. Kouki found it very beautiful.  
He heard his heart pounding on the wall of his chest. 

This was going to be one long hour. 

When it ended, Akashi-sensei simply asked him to bring more work along next week and excused himself. No extra words were said. Not even the 'see you' he got in the library. 

Disappointment spread in him as he stashed the papers into his school bag. Stretching and slumping into the chair, he twirled the aberrant strand of hair in front of his face. 

With an inhale of air that still smelled like cologne, he replayed everything. The classroom was so quiet that he ended up being hyper-aware of sensei. Their knees would bump whenever he moved and he nearly vomited his heart out each time.

When his mother asked him about his unusual disposition at home, he brushed it off as her imagination. 

As he laid in bed, his phone buzzed and vibrated on his bedside table. Taking a look at the bright screen, it showed a message from Kuroko. 

**Kuroko** : Furihata-kun, how was the lesson?

A simple question with many answers. It went well, as in his questions got answered and nothing embarrassing happened. But it also didn't go well, as he didn't get to have a conversation with Akashi-sensei and didn't even get a nice goodbye. 

Frowning and flipping onto his stomach, he typed back a short reply. 

**Kouki** : it was okay...he's just as stern as always

 **Kuroko** : are you still hoping to see Akashi-sensei's smile?

 **Kouki** : yeah, but I'm not having much faith

 **Kuroko** : maybe try to be more daring and talk to him or something? 

**Kouki** : easier said than done… but I'll think about it

 **Kuroko** : you should

He turned off the phone and tossed it carelessly back. He was extremely tired. There was something in him then when he sat beside Akashi, more overwhelming than curiosity and it was very scary to think of.

Placing a hand on his left chest, it was warm and pulsations could be felt even through the thick layers of skin and muscle. Tracing invisible lines on his ceiling, he recalled the sound of Akashi-sensei's laughter. He shut his eyes and tried to draw out Akashi's smiling face. Hair, jaw, nose, ears, even voice. But it wasn't right. He couldn't complete it. Groaning in frustration, he scrubbed at his face. 

He hoped that he could figure it out in his dreams. 

\---

Monday came faster than it actually felt and he dragged his feet to Seirin. On a normal day, he would never dread going to school. But ever since Akashi-sensei made him feel weird emotions, he wanted to avoid the man as much as possible. 

Unfortunately, he really didn't do a good job of keeping those confusing and doubtable feelings away. Akashi-sensei was his homeroom teacher, and he was to meet the class every day. 

He was preoccupied for the whole week, thinking. About anything that included sensei. Last week's lesson, how good he looked, how he appeared in Kouki's dreamland sometimes. He was sure that Kuroko knew something from the way he looked at him. 

Friday was the same as any other day, tedious and cold, with the autumn wind arriving on time and the Winter Cup incoming. Kouki was a third year and it was his last tournament but he wasn't too worried about it. He had done it with the whole squad two years ago and that was enough for him. 

Taiga was much more serious about it than him, understandably so because he wished to continue professionally. Chatting in the classroom after their last lesson, they were getting excited talking about the end of their highschool careers. 

"Are you going to continue in college, Kuroko-kun?", Kouki asked. 

Kuroko replied dimly, "Yes, I like basketball." 

"Hahah, that's the spirit Kuroko! I'm thinking about going back to America to hone my skills," Taiga said with a sparkle in his eye. 

"Hmm, I think I might continue too. I didn't start young but I actually quite like it. I'm...not as good as you guys but I want to get better." 

"Then I should look forward to facing you in a match, Furihata-kun." 

"Yeah! I'll shock you with how much I've improved when you see me. _But_ we still have the Winter Cup first." 

Their idle chat was cut short when Akashi entered the room and the other two quickly went on their way. Kouki fixed his collar and ironed out his jacket, mostly to reflect how well put the teacher was.

"Good afternoon, sensei." He combed and smoothed down his hair.

"Good afternoon." 

Nothing different from last week. Same atmosphere, same sense of unease and anticipation. 

Browsing through his notes and assignments, Akashi pointed out his mistakes and gave several tips. The autumn wind had a sleep effect on Kouki and he let out an unmindful yawn, his eyes tearing up from tiredness. It wasn't until goosebumps formed on his skin from being watched that he realised his slip up. But it wasn't a glare or a reproachful look as much as interest. Akashi-sensei looked amused. 

Kouki fixated harder on the question. His feet were rubbing together nervously under the table and bonked into Akashi's. 

As much as he wanted a eureka moment, he had long since reached his limit for math and everything numerical to him was alien. He sighed loudly despite himself. 

From beside, he heard a chuckle. It was short and breathy but more than he'd ever received. Quickly whipping his head around to see if he could catch a smile, he looked towards Akashi-sensei. Nothing was to be seen, other than a glimmer of mirth in his eyes. He flushed even further. 

As his fingers reluctantly went to pick up the pen again, Akashi spoke up. 

"Shall we take a break? I think you have reached your limit." 

"Umm, can we? I mean I can continue…" 

"I don't think you can," Akashi glanced at the empty page before him to drill in his point.

He blinked and swallowed a ball of saliva. He wasn't sure if he had managed to test Akashi's patience or not. 

"Relax, Kouki. You will not be solving any questions lethargic and restless. This is probably your threshold for the subject, and we've done quite a bit today," Akashi said and pushed his sleeve up to check his watch, "there's still some time left, we should take a breather then finish one last question." 

Kouki hummed a reply and nodded appreciatively. It was relieving that Akashi-sensei wasn't mad at him. 

Half a minute of silence passed before he started to feel some discomfit. What was he supposed to do? He didn't dare to see what Akashi was doing lest the other caught him ogling - because he wouldn't be able to look away. Spinning his pen and counting down the seconds, it flew out of his fingers and onto the ground. Bending to pick it up, another hand reached it just before he was going to pinch it. Their hands landed on each other like stacked clothes and Kouki withdrew his as fast as possible. 

Akashi handed the feisty pen to him and resumed his position with both elbows on the table. Kouki twirled the pen tentatively this time, the pads of his fingers tingling. A fleeting thought of not washing his hand came and went. 

"Do you want to talk, Kouki?" 

So Akashi _was_ entertained by him, his tone said so. It sounded teasing but he didn't understand what there was to tease about. 

"Yeah...yeah. That would be nice," he said unsurely. 

Akashi leaned forward and Kouki could smell the cologne again. It had a calming effect and soothed his jitters. 

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation just now, you are preparing for the Winter Cup?" 

It wasn't expected, choosing basketball as the topic, but it was convenient and neutral. 

"Yes, well, I'm trying to balance it with my studies and it's been tough but since it's our last I want to make it count." 

"You are looking forward to winning it?", he said with more gravity. 

Akashi-sensei for his part, genuinely seemed interested in the conversation, leaning close to Kouki, fingers tapping on the crooks of his oppositely crossed elbows. 

Kouki pondered on it. "No, I mean...I definitely won't mind winning but I look forward to playing my best with them, not just winning." He shrugged to show his nonchalance.

He felt like smiling as he remembered all he'd been through with the Seirin basketball club and the recent inclusion of the first years who look promising. The unease from the start of the lesson had gone away.

"Is that so," Akashi-sensei mused. 

"Yep." 

"Taiga sounded very excited talking about winning the championship again." 

"That's just him being him. He gets pumped up about every match. It's a great booster for team morale actually." 

"Yes, basketball is a team effort, isn't it." 

He said the line in such a way that made Kouki think he understood basketball just as well. 

They relapsed into silence after and continued with a fresh start on the math paper. He completed the question with ease. 

Checking his watch and standing, Akashi pushed his chair back and stood, sliding his arms through his suit jacket. It took Kouki a few seconds to realise that he was waiting. He couldn't contain the little smile from how well the lesson went. 

Exiting the classroom together, they went for the main gate. Looking at how their shoulders were almost aligned, he realised how similar their heights actually were. He had always thought of Akashi-sensei as a person he should cower under. 

"See you next week, Kouki. Good luck with training," he added the last part like an afterthought. 

"Thank you and goodbye, Akashi-sensei." 

Even saying his name made Kouki feel like smiling. Though it couldn't rival how sensei saying his name made him feel. 

\---

The next monday, Kouki made a choice to speak up more in class. He volunteered to collect papers, answered questions and asked questions. He was less afraid of Akashi-sensei and it made the teacher more aware of him so all worked out.

After all the times he went into the staffroom to hand over assignments and forms, Akashi-sensei had seen his face enough to pick up small talk. Not exactly a conversation but one or two lines of extra greetings was more than anyone else got. 

Sometimes looking into sensei's eyes still made him feel like cooked spaghetti but it was a different kind of spaghetti - he was anticipative rather than petrified.

He was travelling to the staffroom again to hand Akashi-sensei some homework. Sliding the doors open, he glanced at Akashi's desk to see that he was engaged in conversation with another teacher. With a deep sense of deja vu, Kouki paced toward them. 

As he inched closer, he saw the other teacher break into a large smile and out into laughter, holding it back with a fist in front of their mouth. Their joviality was contagious and Akashi-sensei's laughter joined theirs. Kouki's footsteps hammered and his palms sticky. This was a great chance. 

But he didn't want to rush it. It wasn't his smile to see. 

He put the papers quietly onto Akashi's desk and attempted to move away unseen. It was futile, Akashi-sensei turning at just the right time to see him before he could take one step from the desk. 

No smile, but eyes that still contained traces of it. 

"Kouki." 

He flinched and stopped. Akashi was eyeing him like a predator would for a tasty dinner. It was times like these that made Kouki forget Akashi-sensei was around the same height as him. 

"Sensei." 

Swiping from the work on his desk to the owner of said work, he levelled a 'why were you being sneaky' look on Kouki. 

From the side of his eyes, he saw the other teacher walk away. 

"You are here to?", Akashi said. 

He was sure it was a start to explain why he seemed so intent on hiding and running. 

"You laughed," Kouki blurted out. 

If anything could surprise Akashi-sensei, it was a student's retelling of their observations. His eyes widened slightly, and it was almost comical.

"And that is why you're being so stealthy?" 

"I... didn't want to interrupt." 

A white lie but it was as close to the truth as he was willing to confess. He couldn't possibly tell sensei that he wanted to hide out of envy of not being the one who deserved his smile. 

"Don't hide next time. It is respectful to introduce yourself." 

"Okay. Sorry." 

Wobbly knees were back in business. Akashi-sensei's eyes were swords that sliced through him and carved on his bones. 

He bowed and retreated to the corridor. A myriad of emotions weaved through him as he limped back to the classroom. 

Falling into his chair in dramatic fashion, Kuroko looked at him concerned. 

"Does this have to do with Akashi-sensei?" 

He paused for a minute. "Yes." 

"Furihata-kun likes Akashi-sensei?" 

It wasn't a question. 

Without opening his eyes, "I don't know."

"Why?" 

"I'm lost. And conflicted." 

"About being student and teacher?" 

"No, not that. It's more of the Akashi-sensei being Akashi-sensei part. I really want to see him smile - I want to make him smile. And I know he can! I've seen him laugh before, he just refuses to in front of us." 

"What's conflicting?" 

"I'm starting to feel _envious_ and _jealous_ about it." 

"Then why isn't Furihata-kun hurrying?" 

" _What?_ " 

"Just make Akashi-sensei smile. Before we graduate." 

"Ugh." 

Kuroko handed him a candy bar and they didn't talk about it again. 

\---

Friday was a rush. The nearer the third years got to their graduation, the more the teachers pushed them. Tests after tests, homework after homework, Kouki never found time to rest when he had basketball practice to cope with as well. On that day, Akashi surprised the class with a quiz. 

He was not prepared for it and his eyes were sore at how much time he spent looking at those school provided white papers. Yawning throughout the short quiz, he finished it and didn't bother checking his answers. He wasn't sure if Akashi-sensei would see him and think he wasn't taking it seriously but he had too much going on to care. 

And, he still hadn't made up his mind to go for it. He knew he probably couldn't do it by sheer force of will but he wasn't going to jump straight into the pit. They were going to have many more lessons, he didn't have to rush...too much. Plenty of time for a smile. 

Afterwards, Akashi called him to collect and return the scripts to the staffroom. Carrying the papers as though they were heavy, he lumbered his way to sensei. Sliding open the doors and making them clank together sharply, he shuffled to Akashi's desk. 

Before he could lean down properly to place the stack, he lost balance in his foot and his entire body threatened to plump onto the ground. He instinctively wrapped his hands around the test papers to protect them, effectively making sure he had no leverage to keep himself from falling over. 

Squeezing his eyes shut and tensing his muscles to brace for an impact, he was confused when his back was unceremoniously slammed against a wall instead. His shoulders were gripped by hands that were strong and his legs felt weak.

He cradled the tests to his chest like a precious baby and snapped his eyes open. In front of his face was Akashi-sensei's. He was looking at Kouki piercingly and painfully neutral. Releasing him once safe, he put his slender yet calloused hands on Kouki's and pried the scripts away. 

He gathered himself and rubbed the bone of his shoulder that cushioned most of the impact. He could feel a blush and hoped it wasn't too obvious. Flexing his fingers, he rubbed his clammy palms along his pants. 

Akashi-sensei plopped the papers on his neat desk. "Are you okay?" 

"I think so," he winced. He had a whole lot of strength for someone that looked like they've never lifted their finger for anything. 

"You need to be careful, ask someone else to help you if it's too much." 

"Yeah, I will." He wouldn't. 

Sensei was fast. His reflexes made Kouki feel as though he saw the fall coming before it even happened. And he was so nonchalant about the whole affair that it made Kouki more embarrassed, especially at how fast his heart thumped when he saw Akashi's eyes peering into his. He sucked in a breath of air but before he could walk away, Akashi called. 

"Kouki."

"Yes?" 

"Thank you." He pointed to the papers.

If he wasn't blushing already, he was then. He felt overwhelmed and mumbled a 'no problem' before dashing away. 

Pacing to an open window along the corridor, he slung himself over it and stuck his head out to feel autumn's breeze. The smell of fresh leaves and slightly stinging wind did little for his frayed nerves and overheating brain but he stayed there long enough to warrant a run back to the classroom for his next lesson.

Kuroko looked at him knowingly even though he gave nothing. 

The school day ended with the chime of bells and he stayed put as he waited for Akashi-sensei. 

Like a script, they went through the tedious process of going over, revising and practising papers. Akashi-sensei was professional but Kouki barely had the energy. He couldn't muster enough energy to prevent his eyelids from drooping and fizzing open with electricity whenever he bumped knees with Akashi. Not only was he exhausted from training the day before, he was only not in the right set of mind after being slammed against a wall by the teacher who was sitting beside him right now.

He thought that he had covered his wandering mind well but no one could hide from Akashi-sensei's keen eyes. 

"Kouki, can you at least stay awake until I finish?" 

He swallowed a yawn that was beginning to form and awkwardly scratched his head. Pinching his legs together and sitting erect, he tried to blow pass the comment. 

"Tell you what Kouki, if we manage to finish on time, I'll treat you to an energy drink." Once again, Kouki thought he saw amusement in Akashi's eyes. 

He frantically shook his head. 

"It's okay! Thank you but I'm fine!" 

"Don't worry Kouki. Take it as compensation for hurting you just now."

He noticed? Well if that's the case, he wasn't going to argue. And he was definitely not wholeheartedly refusing the drink either, it was just etiquette. 

Staying wide awake and alert for the last few minutes of the lesson, he struggled to keep his fantasies from running. 

When they had finally completed the day's work, Akashi draped his jacket precariously over his shoulders and stood waiting for Kouki by the entrance. He leaned against the frame like a spouse waiting patiently for their lover to get off work so he can drive them home. 

Kouki packed his bag and they walked to the vending machine outside the gym.

"What would you like, Kouki?" 

"Um, I think I'll just have a pocari." 

"Of course." 

Pulling out a bill from his wallet, Akashi fed it to the machine. A chilled bottle of pocari sweat for Kouki and green tea for himself. As he bent to retrieve the bottles, Kouki couldn't help but admire how elegant he looked even when doing mundane things like pulling drinks out of a vending machine. 

"Thank you so much," he said when taking the bottle over.

"It is no problem." 

He twisted it open and took a tentative sip. An iced drink wasn't the best idea when the temperature was well below what could be considered warm. As he pressed his lips to the bottleneck, he could see Akashi-sensei in his peripheral vision. His eyeing was returned when he stared for too long. He lurched forward and choked ugily when he forgot to swallow as he put the bottle down. 

While coughing violently and attempting to gather himself, he heard a light chuckle from beside. Snapping his head up, he saw only the side of Akashi's profile. 

The boy brightened when thinking that he might have managed to dig a smile up but it was dimmed since he realised that he didn't actually see it. Once again. 

A teeny part of Kouki wanted to break out and ask him straight why but sense held him back. He prayed that he could accomplish this mission before he graduated and forever lose his chance. 

"Is school getting too much to handle?" 

A puff of air came and ruffled their hairs. He shuddered and stood closer to Akashi. 

"Err...no? Why?" 

"I've noticed Kouki has been quite lethargic the last two lessons. Throughout the week as well." 

"I -I mean, school's heavy but also it's not anything I can't handle. And? Honestly? Math's not the most interesting subject…" 

He hoped it wasn't rude to inveigh. 

"No it certainly isn't." 

"But it's not sensei's fault! _It's the subject_ , Akashi-sensei is good," he added and took another gulp of his too-cold pocari. 

"Is that so? What's so good about me?" 

"Well…" 

He felt like he was caught between a rock and a hard place. It was a question that led too close to a puppy love meet-me-in-the-schoolyard confession. But he ran it through again and decided Akashi must have been asking about his teaching and not him. 

"I think sensei's really meticulous and explains things well, and always makes sure that we understand everything even if it takes longer. And the fact that you can tell what our weaknesses are right away is really impressive. Also, even though sensei appears really stoic and kinda scary sometimes, you are actually really nice..."

"Hm. That's an abundance of compliments." 

He seemed to be deep in thought as he held his hot green tea and stared into the empty gym. Kouki surveyed him, his hair lightly tousled by the wind, his lashes fluttering along and the back of his jacket flowing.

Engrossed and distracted by his admiration, a sneeze crept up on him. His lungs welled up with air and violently released through his mouth. Sniffling and rubbing his nose, another trill went down his spine, causing him to shake with chills. Damn he needed to start layering.

He heard the sound of a zipper opening and looked toward the source.

Holding up his office bag at an angle, Akashi rummaged through it before slowly pulling out a grey cashmere scarf. He placed the bag on the ground to wrap the warm fabric around Kouki's neck. Taking his time to adjust it perfectly, he bundled it twice around, knotting it flatly against Kouki's chest before taking a step back to consider his work. His fingers had grazed Kouki's jaw as he tweaked the soft and sweet smelling scarf for maximum warmth and comfort. 

The scarf was light yet as insulating as glass. He nuzzled against it like a cat and hid his face, eyes casted down, lashes tickling his cheeks, staring at the leather shoes that were closer to him than ever. He felt hot and his face burned but it wasn't thanks to the cashmere.

"You should bring your own, Kouki. The weather's getting cold and I wouldn't want my students to get sick." 

"...Thanks." It came muffled and muted. His lips rubbed against the delicate threads when he talked. Sniffling again when a particularly aggressive wind strolled by, his nose was filled with the scent of Akashi-sensei's cologne.

"What about sensei?"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Okay. Thank you..." He paused. "I'll return it next week." 

Grabbing the scarf carefully with stiff fingers, he lifted it further up. He resisted his instincts to take a deep breath.

Like a mirage, Akashi's hand moved up, as if to pat his head, but it limped down against his thigh again.

"Of course. Let's go then, it's better to get home early in this season." 

Akashi's voice sounded lighter than usual and there was softness in it, like a whisper in the wind.

Nodding in agreement, they picked up their pace and went separate ways at the school gate.

Kouki rode the train home that day and kept the scarf on even though the overzealous train heaters made him sweat. Waiting out as long as he could, he washed it only the day before Monday. When he returned it to sensei, it was still damp.

__\---_ _

"Kouki, I'm afraid I cannot make it for the supplementary lesson today. Could we skip this week?"

Kouki felt his stomach drop. It was the only real time he had alone with Akashi-sensei.

"I- can I ask why?" 

"I have to attend a meeting with the student council this afternoon. It was a sudden decision, I'm sorry I could not have informed you sooner."

"How long? I mean will it take up the entire afternoon?" He played with his thumbs and thought that maybe he was acting too needy. 

"I'm not very sure, is Kouki insistent on having the lesson?"

"I can wait - if it's not too troublesome. I'll eat lunch at Maji Burger until sensei is finished." 

Under the intense scrutiny of Akashi-sensei, his legs threatened to wobble and he wanted to pique up and say something else like 'if you don't want it's also okay' but his mouth was dry and his tongue knotted. 

Sighing without annoyance and a hint of fondness, "Very well then. I doubt it will take too long. I'll finish as soon as I'm able to and meet you at maji burger - I don't want you to travel too much and catch a cold." 

"Yes! Thank you sensei, for agreeing... I'll see you later." He gave a respectful bow and rushed into the safety of the classroom. 

Sitting down with a giddy smile, he excitedly told Kuroko about the day's plan. 

"Kuroko-kun, I'm going out with Akashi-sensei!" He slammed his hands on his friend's desk and gleamed. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"The after-school lesson - he couldn't make it because of student council but I asked nicely and he said we could meet at maji burger when he finishes."

"Ah, is Furihata-kun excited about being outside school with Akashi-sensei?" 

"You think?"

"Uh huh, are you any closer to him?" It shouldn't sound accusatory but it sure did.

Leaning in and dropping his voice, "He gave me his scarf." 

Spoken like a true fanboy. Kuroko was definitely judging him. 

To further explain his point, "I haven't told anyone yet but lemme tell you - last week, after the lesson, I was super tired and Akashi-sensei noticed. Actually, he noticed that I had been tired for the _whole week_." 

Pausing to see if Kuroko caught the significance of the last sentence and confirming so, he continued. 

"So he was like 'if you finish without falling asleep I'll buy you something' and I was all up for it, you know? He kept his promise and bought me a drink afterwards. But get this - wait are you even listening?" 

Exasperated, he pulled his chair up and sat so that they were eye level. Kuroko said nothing and he took it as consent. 

"This is the best part! It's the highlight of my year. Okay so - it was cold and I was feeling the effects of it, sneezing and stuff. Akashi-sensei took out his own scarf and wrapped it around me. He did that! Come on, that's _something_ right? Is that normal?" 

His arms were flailing with the story and his excitement could hardly be contained. 

"It's not normal, Furihata-kun." 

"Yeah, exactly, it's not. So I have gotten closer to him." 

"Hmm." 

Kuroko hummed and seemed to be deep in thought. Scared to bother him, Kouki kept quiet until he spoke up again. 

"Is he any closer to you?" 

He lapsed into silence. The question felt more like a statement of reminder than a genuine query. 

"I don't know...I don't think so. He is..." 

Akashi-sensei was Akashi-sensei: an adult, his teacher and just Akashi. 

The high from minutes ago slipped out of him like a sad deflating balloon and he furrowed his brows tighter and tighter until he noticed the specks of rain on the window. 

It started out as a morbid curiosity but was it just that? When the last thing he saw before sleep and the first thing he thought of in the morning was his teacher? If anyone had asked him 'are you okay' he might have bursted out in overwhelmed and confused tears.

Thankfully, he was left alone and the rain outside took over for him.

Kuroko must have filled Taiga in because the taller boy looked at him sympathetically. He was too distorted to care and merely waved them off. 

With his arms crossed like a protective shield, his legs whined from the temperature like old people do. He wished he had the scarf with him. Not a scarf but the scarf. 

Swinging his head back dramatically and his neck hitting the back of his chair, he stretched and felt the accumulated tension ease partially. With a deep exhale, he stared into the ceiling fans and followed it's cycles until he was dizzy. 

He was just a student. Why did he think he was any different?

He put too much into Akashi-sensei's actions. They probably didn't mean anything - sensei would be breaking laws if he meant something. 

Fuck him. What a dumb thing this was. Who said being interested in a teacher was fun? Oh right, nobody - he dug his own grave and jumped into it thinking it was a pool. 

A lighting struck and the classroom flashed with caution. A thunderous roar followed and shook Kouki out of his reverie. 

Sitting straighter and peeking out of the window, he watched as students rushed out of school with umbrellas, each looking like little mushrooms from his view. Those who didn't bring one were trapped under the shelter and unhappily tapping their shoes, waiting for the storm to placate. 

He noticed one teacher, with a big umbrella, ushering students underneath it. They held the umbrella high and stayed on the outside, their entire side getting soaked. Moving slowly but surely, the group inched toward the bus stop not far opposite the school. 

Making sure the students were safe and not drenched, they rushed back to school, big umbrella in hand, ushering the next batch of students underneath, their shirts sticking to their skin and hair bunching with wetness. 

Another lighting struck, catching him off guard and swinging back down into his chair. He pressed his lips together and bit down. It's not that bad. 

_So what? Seriously, so what?_

What he needed was a smile, that was all. 

Huffing, he felt his head clear as he reached a conclusion. Yeah, that's quite alright, he didn't want a relationship or anything - he just wanted to make sensei happy. Because Akashi-sensei was a great teacher. And he was Akashi's student.

Checking the clock and the weather report, he took out his own umbrella and trudged his way to Maji Burger. 

__\---_ _

He didn't have to wait that long for Akashi-sensei. The teacher showed up, lightly showered and hair glistened, only half an hour after he left school. 

He was sipping on a shake and munching on a ketchup dipped fry when he sensed a familiar presence behind him. 

Turning around, he was stuck to his seat when met with an eyeful of Akashi-sensei. He leaned over Kouki, smelling faintly of wet grass and sweat, considering the picture shown on his phone. 

"The basketball club sure is industrious." 

He fumbled and quickly closed the new Winter Cup practice roster he was looking at. 

"Sensei! I didn't think you would be so early." 

Reeling back and looking pointedly at Kouki, "Yes, I ended the meeting as swiftly as I could." 

"Oh -uh, you didn't have to-" 

"No trouble there, Kouki. A teacher shouldn't make their students wait." 

Removing his damp jacket and sliding into the opposite seat of the booth, he pulled out a pen. 

"How is basketball training treating you? The Winter Cup is nearing isn't it." 

"Yeah, I'm coping, the new coach isn't half as tough as Riko." 

"I've heard. She was better than most others - for a young girl. Since training isn't treating you that hard, I'm trusting you to be able to stay awake today." 

"... I'll try." He scratched his neck absentmindedly. 

He ran his hands along his thighs and inched his feet closer to Akashi's. As he eyed their oppositely sat knees, he remembered something. 

"Sensei, have you eaten?", He said with much urgency. 

Akashi pondered the question, as if it was difficult. 

"Not yet, but I'm fine." 

Shaking his head and feeling daring from his eureka moment earlier in school, he countered Akashi. 

"No!You need to eat. I feel bad that I'm full in a fast food restaurant but my teacher has an empty stomach." 

"I'm really fine, Kouki. Let's not fret." His eyes bore into Kouki but he wasn't going to back down. 

" _No_ , sensei, you don't get it. I want you to eat." He pushed his half-eaten fries closer to Akashi. 

Eyeing the fries, Kouki, then back to the fries carefully, he exhaled exasperatedly and gave a compromised 'alright' even though he made no moves to pick one up.

Kouki ignored that and grinned smugly. He moved his feet further until it bumped into another shoe. Neither of them drew away so they stayed there for the afternoon. 

When the rain had subsided and the lesson ended, the fries were emptied. Not by Akashi-sensei, but Kouki was sure he didn't mind. 

As he stood up from the seat and slung a bag over his shoulder, Akashi stepped in front of him. 

Looking at the teacher in momentary surprise, he was further mystified when a hand caught itself in his hair and patted him. 

Even though the difference between them was negligible, he felt like a toddler looking up at his idol. It might be his imagination, but he could see sparkles and diamonds blossoming from behind the teacher. 

"Thank you, Kouki." 

Forcing his shock-frozen mouth open, he blinked several times and cocked his head.

"For what?" 

Did he do anything to warrant such a sweet thank you?

"You are a good student." 

He said, as if it explained anything. 

"Okay," Kouki replied, because nothing else came to mind. 

Turning away, Akashi noted the heavy clouds and despondent sky. 

"I assume that Kouki has an umbrella?" 

"Yep," he said as he walked with a bounce to the exit and plucked his blue umbrella out of an umbrella stand. 

As they stood under the awning of the exit, he grew more and more distressed when his umbrella refused to open. It didn't budge even when he used his full basketball power. He shook the umbrella, hoping that he could somehow wake it up.

In agonising discomfit, he glanced at Akashi who was still standing by him. 

The teacher had his eyes deeply set on the broken umbrella in his hands. He set it down by his side in defeat and stared out into the rain which had begun to pour. 

Without a word, Akashi opened his own umbrella with a click and held it above him. 

Kouki looked at him timorously, afraid of what was happening. He has never found Akashi as attractive as then.

"It's better if I give you a ride home." 

Forgetting to move his eyes, "...I'll need that. Thank you, sensei." 

Huddling closer to the center, he hoped that it would prevent the other man from having to hold the umbrella out and getting himself soaked in the process. 

They speed-walked to the luxurious vehicle in the carpark and he clambered into the passenger seat - all without getting a single drop of rain on him. Settling into the smooth leather cushions of the driver seat himself, Akashi threw the wet umbrella onto the floor of the backseats and flicked on the engine.

The car rumbled with life and Kouki stuttered out his address when he was asked to, awestruck by his position. 

Suddenly distraught over where his hands should rest, he fidgeted with the hem of his school uniform. He pinched the collars of his shirt together for warmth when he felt a sneeze coming on. 

Akashi turned the heaters to maximum. 

He didn't know how long the ride was going to be, probably not too long, since his house was only fifteen minutes by train and twenty-five by bus. But every minute felt like an eternity.

If the radio had been on, it would have been less pallid and oppressive but the only sounds between them were the robotic gps voice and heavy rain banging the windows. Feeling every bit of not being in his comfort zone, he scooted on his bum and leaned against the door. He rested at an angle that allowed for a clear view of Akashi-sensei and the roads outside.

The dullness of Tokyo's streets acted as a backdrop for the teacher's face. He was looking straight out and serious, navigating like an experienced driver on the slippery asphalt. While they waited at a traffic light, Kouki hugged his torso with his hands tucked into the sleeves, twiddling. 

Taking his hands off the steering wheel, Akashi fixed his jacket to close it and turned to him. 

His eyes roamed Kouki for a second, before making eye contact and asking, "Are you feeling fine?" 

Restraining the need to sniffle, his words came out sickly, "Ye-nssff-yes." 

"I _told_ you to start layering." 

Kouki wanted to laugh at how much Akashi reminded him of his mother but thought better of it. The emphasis he put on 'told' was actually hilarious. 

"I forgot - it's only this chilly because of the rain." 

The other man seemed to have a retort or scolding coming but was rudely interrupted by a green light. 

Kouki kept quiet - he didn't know if talking would annoy or distract Akashi. But after an insufferable two minutes, he decided that he hated silence more. 

Racking his brains for things to say and coming up with nothing substantial, words spewed out of him impulsively to prevent him from bullying himself out of it.

"Sensei?"

"Mmh?"

He took a deep breath.

"Why don't you smile more?"

There was a pause. 

" 'More'?" 

Akashi's eyes stayed on the road. 

Like water gushing out of a broken dam, Kouki trusted himself to go for it. He couldn't not finish what he started (he wanted to scream into a pillow when he got home later). 

"It's just - I've never seen sensei smile, like, _ever_. But I know that sensei does - just not in front of us." He stopped but continued when no reaction was shown. "So I want to see sensei smile." _And I think you will look good._

The car took a turn and sped until they reached another stoplight. 

"Do you want to see it that badly?" 

"What?"

"You sound very distressed," he said it like a fact. 

"Uh...I…" 

He looked everywhere except Akashi. At the roads, at his lap, at Akashi's shirt button. 

He could sense the teacher looking away when the car started again and they soon reached a familiar sight - he was near home. 

Disguising timidness as confidence, "...Yes." 

"How badly?" 

His heart caught in his throat. He felt like there was a frog in his stomach, jumping, kicking at him. Second year Kouki wasn't even half this fucked when he confessed to the girl he had secretly crushed on for months.

"More than winning the championship or getting into Tokyo University."

"That's quite a dramatic statement. Taiga would probably shake your shoulders if he were here." 

"Heh, he would." He fumbled with his thumbs.

A few seconds of quietness followed - they were only a couple blocks away from their destination, if the gps was to be trusted. 

At the same time Akashi-sensei proposed, "How about a promise?", they stopped in front of his home.

His fight or flight reaction kicked in and he badly wanted to jump out. Sensei's eyes were drilling heart-shaped holes into him.

"Promise?", He squeaked.

"Yes, so that you can give me a good reason to smile," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

"What... kind of promise?" 

He crossed his fingers it wasn't something like getting first in school or scoring full marks on your math exam. 

Akashi tapped his index finger on the wheel thoughtfully. "I'll smile, for you, if you win the Winter Cup and become number one in Japan." 

_What?_ What? That's the criteria?

He dug his nails into his skin, was it a promise he could fulfill? 

He had done it once, with the seniors and Riko, but could Seirin triumph once more?

Akashi-sensei wasn't asking for something small, but it was not completely unexpected, a smile from sensei wouldn't come cheap. 

He gnawed on his bottom lip and said softly, "I promise." 

He swore he could hear his own pulse but it was muffled by the ubiquitous click of the car doors being unlocked. Before he reached for the handle however, he remembered something. 

He was definitely having an adrenaline rush - he felt ready to jump down a building, get up, and do it again - so he lurched his body towards the driver seat and could just barely see his own reflection in red eyes. He folded his hand into a fist with his pinky out and jutted it toward Akashi. 

He looked at Kouki's extended pinky and raised his eyebrows. 

"Pinky promise me." He sounded like a petulant child but he didn't mind. 

The teacher's lips twitch but he brushed it off - he only wanted to see it if Seirin won. 

Holding his own pinky up, he wrapped it around Kouki's. It was like a chain locking him up, letting him know that he was really doing this. 

Reeling back satisfied, he excitedly jumped out the car only to poke his head back in. "Thank you, sensei. Please keep the promise!" 

Closing the door with a bit too much force, he bounced back to his house and didn't dare look back. 

__\---_ _

The weeks before the Winter Cup flew by in a flash. His lessons with Akashi-sensei continued without fuss but there was the feeling that they got closer, even though he couldn't place why he felt so. There was small talk between them, and he was still Akashi's first choice in class to call, be it to answer a question or to carry a stack of homework to the staffroom. 

He learnt more about Akashi-sensei from what little information the teacher divulged - he was for real aristocratic, played basketball as a student, and liked shogi. And that he hated seaweed, for some odd reason.

The promise was unspoken but Kouki trained hard for it. If Riko were still in Seirin, she would have been proud of him. And if Kuroko or Taiga found it to be amusing or pitiful at first, they certainly didn't voice it out once they saw how serious he was.

It was really killing two birds with one stone, he would become a better player and win the championship while also winning a 'for Kouki only' Akashi-sensei smile. 

He had once felt conflicted over his feelings for Akashi, but it wasn't that deep, he liked him. He wanted to see sensei smile - wanted to make sensei smile. If it wasn't the same for sensei, that was fine by him. It wouldn't be the end of the world, but not being able to fulfill a promise and see him happy would definitely be the end of his world.

So, he worked hard and played hard. The others did too, all the way to the Winter Cup finals. 

Tōō Academy vs. Serin High.

Coming in as the first and fourth seed of the Interhigh, it was a much anticipated match. Hundreds gathered to watch the last matchup between Taiga and Aomine, the cheers for each team competing for dominance. Kouki was a starter. He earned his place, through his seniority and practice. 

However, Seirin was down at half-time by a margin of ten. Tōō had total control of the game, only broken by the referee's whistle. The team sat in the locker room, each looking worse for wear than the next. It was a tough match. If they played smarter and trusted Taiga to go into the zone at the right time, they still had confidence in their chances. 

Stepping onto the court again, both teams started slow, the score stagnating until Seirin pushed through with a 3 pointer. The aces battled it out throughout the third quarter and they finally reached the last quarter with a smaller point deferential. 

Taiga was still going but Kouki was whipped. His knees were cracking when they weren't meant to, his pace had slowed and the sweat cascading from his forehead stung his eyes. He sat on the bench hunched over and huffing. He had played for the entire game. And the game before this. He started for all of Seirin's Winter Cup games. He was losing his steam when it most mattered.

He felt crushed. He gripped his knees tight enough to hear a crunch.

"Coach? Kouki will sit out for the first few minutes." 

"What? No!" 

He glared at Kuroko, didn't he understand? 

This game meant more to them than any other. This was the game for the third years. This was the game for Kouki - for Akashi. 

Before he could stand and protest, Kuroko threw a dry towel onto his head. He reluctantly took the bottle of water offered to him and waited for an explanation. 

"You can't do this anymore." 

Sparked, he wanted to argue but was cut off. 

"Akashi-sensei is here." 

"He is?" He looked around the arena but it was so full that it made him dizzy.

Kuroko guided his eyes to a lonely figure on the upper deck, standing and staring at him. Flustered, he looked back down.

"So?" 

"Do you want to do this for him?" 

"Why are you asking the obvious?" 

"Then you need to sit until you can actually do it." 

That...made sense. He felt like Taiga all of a sudden, needing Kuroko to knock some sense into him.

"Fine. But I'll play and I'll be playing to win." He raised a fist. "So you better do your best, teammate."

Kuroko returned his fist bump and went back to the court. Despite knowing Akashi was there, he didn't want to see him while he was on the bench. If Seirin won without him, it would feel like cheating.

Taking a big gulp of icy water and scrubbing his soaked hair, he scrutinised the match. Eight minutes left. Taiga was in the zone. A six point margin. Aomine broke past Seirin to score in the paint, officially entering the zone as well. 

Taiga caught the rebound, dribbled it across the floor and went for a dunk. Sensing Aomine behind him, he quickly passed it to Kuroko who shot for two. Back to six. 

The aces battled back and forth, score for score. Kouki watched from the side, his feet tapping faster with each minute gone. As the clock neared the five minutes mark, Taiga and Aomine both dived for a loose ball. The ball goes out of bounds. His coach asked for a substitution and called him in.

Rubbing his wrists to loosen them up, he readied for a tough battle. The number on his jersey had never been this sticky and he had never felt this many pair of eyes on him. From the thousands of spectators in the arena that day, he somehow still knew which way the gaze that shook him up most was from. His heart pounded, blood gushing through him. If he was known as a scardy-cat, he would let you know that he in fact, was not. He'd be a chihuahua at least, barking at everything he sees like a champ.

Moving in and giving a tense nod to the replaced player, he levelled his eyes on Taiga and Kuroko. 

If three years of playing experience with each other had taught him anything, it was that they were not going home without doing their absolute best. And Taiga would probably have sprouted some cringy tv show line if not for him being in the zone.

Inhaling and exhaling, he did his absolute best. His substitution had changed the flow of the game, Tōō had to adapt to his more careful style of play that seemed to juxtapose Taiga's recklessness. A fastbreak was theirs to clench. Catching a pass from Kuroko (something he only truly mastered this year), he gave it up to Taiga who dunked it for two. 

If his own determination wasn't enough, the screams of Seirin's supporters sure fuelled him. He was riled up, engine pumping and brain whirring. He was a point guard. It was his job to be the one making opportunities for his teammates. And with only three minutes on the game clock, he needed to step up. 

Pressed on by the defence, he found a loophole and flung it to Kawahara for a well-timed three. High-fiving him on the way back, he observed the possible steps to take. 

With two minutes remaining, Tōō fought their hardest and Aomine was like a brick wall - a deadly agile brick wall. Their rhythm was stopped when another shot was blocked and both sides remained at a stalemate, with both team's number one players marking each other like animals. Sometimes it would be better to let the bests even it out, but Kouki was a part of the game too. 

He watched as Taiga and Kuroko did their thing, silently counting down the seconds. If something didn't happen, the three point margin would be their defeat. Taiga was exhausted, he could tell, but the power forward pulled through, toughened by the power of the zone and dunked over Tōō's center. 

Thirty seconds. He could hear his heartbeat syncing with the red dancing numbers. Keenly watching the game, he nearly spasmed when he saw Taiga jump with Aomine's hand nearly slapping the ball away. Fortunately, he knew that his friend wouldn't be this stupid. Taiga twisted the ball away and threw a bounce pass to Kuroko, who had slipped away from the defenders. 

As quick as the pass was, two players immediately stepped in Kuroko's way, blocking his attempts at a buzzer beater shot. Without batting an eye, he bounced the ball twice before using misdirection to disappear from their eyes. 

At the same time, Kouki ducked and broke past his defender, ready for the ball. Did he know that it was going to be his ball? No. No he didn't. He simply trusted Kuroko to make the right decision and the player guarding him was incidentally, watching Taiga instead of him. 

Catching the basketball, and with no opponents near him, he could see a clear shot. A three point, game winning shot. Only that he was nearer to the halfcourt than the three point line. 

As sudden as it could, it dawned on him. The reality of his situation, his motives and the fact that the leather in his hands was rough and heavy, weighing him down like a barbell instead of a ball that could be flung halfway across the court. 

But there was no time left for indecision, he was Seirin's third year point guard. It was his job, one that only he could do, whether he liked it or not. So he indulged before he even squatted to jump. 

Looking from the hoop to the audience, he caught Akashi-sensei. There was no doubt he was watching, and that they were looking right at each other. If Akashi's eyes said anything, it was for him to shoot it. 

Swinging his gaze back to the rim and feeling it in his bones that there was less than seven seconds, he steadied himself, pointed his elbows forward, and shot the ball. It was deafening. But the noise felt a hundred yards away. He was in his own zone, one with him, the ball and Akashi-sensei. It was also then that he realised, he put the teacher on the same level of importance as basketball. 

He was only woken up by his feet leaving the ground, his body being swung around and hugged by his team. Had he done it? A glance at the scoreboard told him yes. 

He did it. 

Seirin did it. They were number one in Japan. _He did it._

A warm and fuzzy feeling settled in his stomach as tears began to choke out of him. He couldn't contain it as it streamed down his cheeks, mixing with his sweat. He jumped up and down in jubilation, the gratification of winning drowning him. 

After cooling down in the locker room and rejecting interviews, he sat on a bench in front of some vending machines, freezing in his warm up jacket. A bottle of pocari sweat appeared in his vision. 

He looked up from the bottle to the person holding it and zealously grabbed it, wrapping his palms around Akashi's hand that was still on it, and stood up. 

"Sensei!" 

"Congratulations." 

"I'm so glad you came, I couldn't be sure if you would. I didn't see you during the warm up."

"Of course I came. I have to watch Kouki play, don't I?" 

His wide smile threatened to tear his face. 

"Yeah... _yeah_!" 

Kouki's smile was bright, but Akashi's was better.

A smile so perfect and tender it could give him enough energy to run another match. 

"You did well, Kouki." 

Having no words to describe his happiness, he put his arms around the older man and buried his face in his shoulder. The bottle of pocari sweat stopped pressing into his navel and instead, spread condensation onto his back as a pair of lean arms squeezed him back. 

"Thank you." 

The words came out raspy and cracked. His shoulders shook and his breathing rugged. He felt Akashi rub on his back, soothing as aloe vera. 

"Don't cry - is my smile that scary?" 

He laughed but it was more of a blubber. Shaking his head to say no, he realised he was only messing up Akashi-sensei's jacket. 

"N-no... I'm just so happy right now." 

Earning a hearty chuckle from the man, he only cried harder. His cheeks were sore from smiling but he wasn't protesting. 

"I know. Kouki's number one in Japan." 

The need to breathe forced him to pull away and he rubbed at his bedraggled face, hiding it. 

"Sensei, I think I have a crush on you." 

"I know." Akashi tousled his hair. "Maybe after you graduate." 

He was beaming.

**Author's Note:**

> I finished this at 4am and had to fight with html for a few times so if there are any mistakes, forgive me.


End file.
